The Fatted Calf's Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

All this week, Toponia Miller and Taylor Boetticher from The Fatted Calf will be sharing recipes from their new book, In The Charcuterie: The Fatted Calf's Guide to Making Sausage, Salumi, Pâtés, Roasts, Confits, and Other Meaty Goods. They'll also be talking to us about making charcuterie, and giving away a few copies of their book! Read on, meat lovers.

Today: Shelter pork tenderloin with a layer of flavorful fat.

Delicate pork tenderloin is the extra-lean meat adjacent to the loin. This tasty, supple little muscle has a tendency to dry out quickly during cooking and can go from perfectly pink to dry and mealy the second you turn your back on the sauté pan. Our solution to the tenderloin quandary is to provide it with a protective layer of much-needed fat in the form of rich, salty pancetta. As the tenderloin roasts, the pancetta crisps, basting the tenderloin with its fat. This keeps the lean muscle moist and infuses it with the robust flavor of pancetta.

Fatted Calf's Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Serves 2 or 3

1 trimmed pork tenderloin, about 1 pound 
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine
3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
About 2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, homemade or store-bought

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photo by Alex Farnum